Security note

IRC is not a private chat system unless otherwise noted. Some IRC clients offer SSL security, such as Irssi and XChat but may only secure connections with the server (if enabled). Some client-to-client secure services also exist (check documentation) which offers a fully secure solution. If only on the server-side, keep in mind all data goes through a 3rd source: the IRC server where it is possible to be monitored. Encrypted Chat Clients are available, some using IRC, to make your conversations secure. One mature project in particular is The Invisible IRC Project and Secure Internet Live Conferencing.

While many tools are available to make it more user friendly, knowledge of just a few commands makes the process so much easier. While many graphical interfaces for IRC allow users to skip this use of text in favor of separate message boxes, server lists, and graphics. Knowing some of the basic commands, however, turns out to be faster. These commands start with a "/" symbol.